Means for the electromagnetic opening of doors from a distance



Nov. 14, 1933.

A. CAPRE MEANS FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETIC OPENING OF DOORS FROM A DISTANCEFiled July 25, 1931 INVENTOR: Alfred, Capre.

y (A 4, 365 ATTYS.

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETICOPENING OF DOORS FROM A DISTANCE Alfred Capr, Aigle, SwitzerlandApplication July 25, 1931, Serial No. 553,142,. and in Switzerland July31, 1930 2 Claims. (Cl. 263P-33) The present invention relates toelectro-magnetic means permitting of actuating a door, more particularlya garage door, from the driving seat of a vehicle without electrical 'ormechanical connection between the latter and the motive member of thedoor. i

The accompanying drawing given by way of example shows a constructionalform of the device with modification for the locking means by the use ofa selector.

Fig. 1 is a general diagrammatic view of the device and Fig. 2 amodification of the working of the electro-magnets by means of aselector disk as is usual in automatic telephones.

Ihe diagrammatic view, Fig. 1 shows a stationary installation mounted ina garage and a movable installation mounted on the motor vehicle.

The garage 1 shown in section through its open door, is closed by meansof a door 2 of well, known type and capable of opening and closing bymeans of an electro-mechanical installation comprising a motor 3 coupledto the door by a clutch mechanism 45. This mechanism is combined in sucha manner that when not de-clutched the door is locked in every position.

At the end of the opening and closing movement of the door 2 is disposeda switch 6 and 7 the opening of which is insured by the position of thedoor and which closes automatically by means of a return spring as soonas the door liberates the knife of the switch.

In the pathway in front of the garage door and in the passage of thevehicle, is sunk in the ground an electro-magnet 8, in the form of acontact plate which acts through induction when a second electro-magnet9, mounted on the motor vehicle 10, passes over it inthe position shownin the diagram.

Within the garage is disposed at small box 11 enclosing twoelctro-magnetic relays 12, 13 which actuate a reversing mechanism bycrossing the phases in order to change the direction oi rotation of themotor.

The device is fed by a supply lead 14 on the tri-phase system, comingfrom the distribution sector and between two phases of which isintercalated a transformer 15, reducing the pressure for feeding therelay circuits.

To permit of the operation of the door with- ,out having to act upon thepart of the device arranged on a vehicle, a switch 16 is placed in theentrance to the bay which can also be operated by a Yale key or thelike.

The electro-magnet 8 is connected to a relay 17 the armature of whichactuates a switch 18 which brings into circuit according to the positionof the door, the electro-magnetic relays 12 or 13. m

The movable installation disposed on the motor vehicle comprises, asabove stated an induction electro-magnet 9 secured to the chassis andconnected to a source of current such as a battery of accumulators 19.In the circuit 20 between the electro-magnet 9 and the battery 19 isinserted a switch 21.

The operation of the device is as follows. When the vehicle 10 arrivesin front of the garage and the electro-magnets 8 and 9 are more m orless in the same vertical plane the chauffeur presses on the switchpedal 21 to close the circuit between the battery 19 and theelectro-magnet 9. The induced current produces in the windings of theelectro-magnet 8 an induced current which is transmitted by the leads22, 23 to the relay 17, the armature of which is attracted and closesthe secondary circuit of the transformer 15, thus sending the currentthrough the lead 24 to the lead 25 connecting the switch 6 for the endof the movement to the electro-magnetic relay 13 the core of whichattracts the armature of the central lever of the reversing device 26causing it to lean to the right. Current passes through the reversingdevice 26 and through the connections 27 and 28 to the terminals of themotor 3 which in'starting up opens the door 2. When the door iscompletely open the switch 6 at the end of the stroke is'released byinterrupting the action of the relay 13, the oscillating lever returnsto its median position and the motor stops. On -the other hand by theopening movement of the door the lower switch 7 returns under the actionof the spring into its closing position thus preparing the circuit forefiecting the closing of the door.

The closing of the door is efiected in the same manner. The switch 7being closed and the switch 6 open, the current is sent to the relay 12which will actuate the commutator in the op- 19!) posite direction byreversing the current and causing in this way the door to close.

In order to permitof actuating the door without having to have recourseto the device disposed on the vehicle, a switch 16, of push button typecloses the circuit 25, 24 thus substituting itself for the action of therelay 17, 18.

There are however cases where it is desired to obtain the inviolabilityof the closing of the garage, by a special locking device in order toensure the impossibility of actuating the device by a non-authorizedperson. A modification of this kind, shown in Fig. 2 makes use, for thispurpose of a numbering disk 29 with selector 30, similar to those usedfor automatic telephones. The elect'ro-magnet 9 through the intermediaryof the armature 33 of the relay 34 transmits as many electric impulsesas the chaufieur of the vehicle emits when he composes a number by meansof the numbering disc 29. The electric impulses received by theelectro-magnet 9 change to magnetic impulses which will be transmittedby induction to the electro-magnet 8 in which they will again betransformed into electric impulses, transmitted by the conductors 22, 23to the winding 32 of a selector 30 of an automatic telephone. When ithas attained the number for which it is adjusted the finding contact ofthe selector 30 closes through the conductors 24 and 25, as in theprevious construction, the relay circuit 12 or 13 according to whetherthe door is open or closed.

A de-clutching member not shown in the drawing is provided between themotor axle and the door control in order that if there should bepropriate means such as winches, counfirrweights and so on according tothe type of door and the mechanism used in combination with the motor.

I claim:

1. In means for controlling motor circuits, an induced electromagnet inthe ground disposed in the path of a vehicle, an inducing magnet carriedby the vehicle, a. wire circuit supplying current to said inducingmagnet, an electromotor, a wire circuit feeding said motor, a commutatorswitch in said wire circuiti'orcontrollingthesame, a relay forcontrolling said commutator switch, said relay being operated by theinduced current, automatic switches actuated by a closure, said switchescontrolling the wire circuit of the commutator switch, means forreversing the current and solenoids for controlling the movements ofsaid closure.

2. In means for controlling motor circuits as claimed in claim 1, anumber disc carried by the vehicle, a battery carried by the vehicle incircuit with saidnumber disc, means carried by said number disc forbreaking said circuit, a selector for collecting the pulsations, a relaycarried by the vehicle, said relay being in circuit with said batteryand a. switch carried by the vehicle for interrupting the inducedcurrent.

ALFRED CAPRE.

